Desk-easel



{No Model.)

B. M. HITCH.

DESK EASEL.

No. 532,063. Pate ted-Jan. 8, 1895.

N T D STATES- PATENT OFFICE. I

RUFUS M. HITCH, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

D EsK-E s Er.

$PEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 532,063, dated January 8,1895. Application filed January 2, 1894. Serial No. 495,465. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RUFUS M. HITCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Desk-Easels, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a front View. Fig. 2 is an end view. Fig. 3 is a rear view. Fig. 4. is a back view of the easel unfolded; and Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

My invention relates to easels for holding a book or manuscript in a convenient position for the eye of the reader, and has for its objects to produce an easel which may be conveniently placed upon a desk or other suitable support, and which will be so constructed that it may be easily folded when not in use.

A further object is to so construct the easel that it may readily be set up in position for use, and also to so arrange the various parts as to make the easel strong and stable.

I accomplish these objects as hereinafter specified and as illustrated in the drawings.

That which I regard as new will be set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings,-a. indicates the board which is adapted to support a book or other article. The board a is provided with a strip 1) extending along its lower edge, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

0 indicates the base of the easel, which is substantially triangular in shape, as shown in Fig. 4, and is hinged by a suitable hinge d to the lower edge of the board a, the arrangement being such that it may be folded over upon the back of the boarda when not in use.

e indicates a triangular supporting piece, aninclined edge of which matches an inclined edge of the base 0, the support e and base a being connected by a suitable hinge f, as shown in Fig.4. By this arrangement the support C may be turned into the plane of the base a, or it may be turned at an angle thereto, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. By turning the support e to an acute angle with the base a one of the edges of the support will come into position to support the board a. so that the board may be turned up into an inclined position, being supported by the support 6, as

shown in Fig. 2. I In order to lock the parts i in this position, a spring catch g is secured to the back of the board a in position to receive a staple it carried by the support e, as shown in Fig. 4.

As shown in Fig. 5, the catch g is bent to form a recess large enough to receive the staple h, secured to the support 6, sothat the spring of the catch serves as a lock for the staple, thereby securely holding the parts together.

When the easel is set up as above described the base 0 will be substantially triangular, the apex of the triangle being at the rear, so

that the base takes" up very little space on the desk or other support, and yet it is very stable, making the accidental overturning of the easel almost impossible.

For packing purposes, the base a and support 6 may be turned into the plane of the board a, and then folded over upon the back of said board, so that the easel may be very easily packed, and so arranged will take up very little room.

Myinvention provides a folding easel which is well adapted for students, and which is simple, strong, and readily set up. When folded it occupies comparatively small space. The particular support for the board possesses an advantage, in that it naturally adjusts itself to the proper'position when turned up to support the board, and is automaticallylocked for always holding the board at the same inclination. When not required for use the easel may be folded perfectly flat by folding the support 6 into the same plane as the base 0, and then folding these parts against the under side of the board a.

Although my invention is primarily designed for supporting a book or manuscript in a convenient position for the reader, yet it may be used for any other purpose to which it is adapted.

That which Iclaim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

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1. An easel, consisting of a board a having I scribed.

2. An easel, consisting of a board a having a supporting strip 12 on its front side, and

spring-catch g on its rear side, a base 0 hinged to the lower edge of the board, and a trian- 15 gular support e having an attached staple h and an inclined edge matching and hinged to an inclined edge of the base, said base and said triangular support being adapted to unfold into the same plane as the board and also, to fold against the rear side of the latter, substantially as described. der side of the latter, substantially as de- RUFUS M. HITCH.

Witnesses:

WM. T. MACK, J. L. JACKSON. 

